Attention High School Juniors and Seniors

How would you like a FREE trip to Washington D.C.?

Lake Region Electric will be sponsoring one or two area high school juniors and seniors on an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The week-long trip will be held June 17-23, 2027.

Each June, over 1800 high school juniors and seniors travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Rural Electric Youth Tour. During the week, they learn about Washington, D.C., government, cooperative philosophy, and rural electrification. The student delegates are selected and sponsored by their local rural electric cooperatives. The South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA) coordinates arrangements for the South Dakota students.

Some of the sites that may be toured are the Lincoln Memorial, National Cathedral, The White House, Air and Space Museum, Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol, Ford’s Theatre, The Kennedy Center, the Metro, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Smithsonian, Iwo Jima Statue, National Archives, U.S Supreme Court, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Students will also participate in a briefing with the South Dakota Congressional Delegation.

Who is Eligible? Area high school juniors and seniors.

What Does It Cost? This trip is free for the students. Lake Region Electric Association, along with the other electric cooperatives that participate in the week-long event, fund the tour. The student’s transportation, room and board, entertainment, and sightseeing events are covered by LREA.

How do I qualify? Each entrant must submit an application along with either a short essay not exceeding 300 words or a short video less than 90 seconds in length,, explaining their motivation for wanting to go on the trip and how an all expense paid (FREE) trip to Washington DC would bring value to their life.

Applications are due no later than December 1, 2026! Delegates will be selected by LREA after all applications and statements or essays are reviewed.